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Youngster has been used since the 16th century as a word for a young person with a lot of spunk. It has also long been used by maritime people as a word for a midshipman who has served less than four years. This use is connected with the Dutch word younker, which, like "youngster," refers to a young person as well as a young seaman. "Oldster" came about as a word used to differentiate the inexperienced midshipmen, or youngsters, from the experienced ones. To be exact, an oldster is a midshipman of four years' standing. Charles Dickens gets credit for the earliest known use of "oldster" in the general sense of "an old person." In his 1848 novel Dombey & Son he wrote, "Her eyes would play the Devil with the youngsters before long - 'and the oldsters too, Sir, if you come to that,' added the Major."
Examples of oldster in a Sentence
Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Plus, lest oldsters forget, Buckingham Fountain is romantic.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Who among us oldsters doesn’t enjoy a good VFX-costume parlay?
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2025
Folks back in the day had Yoda as their feisty oldster and the kids now have Maz. 36.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 24 May 2023
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Cite this Entry
“Oldster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oldster. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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oldster
noun
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